Brenda Goodman on Six Decades of Painting, Queer Identity, and Mortality
In a conversation with Hyperallergic for its 2026 Pride Month series, Brenda Goodman, a Detroit native born in 1943, shares insights into her life and work. Since 1973, Goodman has held more than 50 solo exhibitions, with her latest at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins. After relocating to New York City in 1976, she now resides in Pine Hill, NY. This autumn, her art will be showcased in group exhibitions at Marc Straus Gallery and the Studio School in September, followed by a solo collage display at JJ Murphy Gallery in October. Goodman discusses her queer identity, childhood experiences in Detroit, and her artistic journey, including her inaugural New York exhibition in 1980, as well as collages and drawings influenced by the Gaza conflict for an upcoming book, 'Drawing the Unspeakable.'
Key facts
- Brenda Goodman was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1943.
- She has had about 50 solo exhibitions since 1973, most recently at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins.
- In fall 2026, her work will be in group shows at Marc Straus Gallery and the Studio School in September, and a solo collage exhibition at JJ Murphy Gallery in October.
- She moved from Detroit to New York City in 1976 and now lives in Pine Hill, NY.
- She met her partner Linda Dunne in 1987 on a bus to a gay rights march in DC.
- Her current work includes small collages with pencil, watercolor, and prints of her paintings shrunk in Photoshop.
- John Yau wrote about her Gaza-inspired drawings in Hyperallergic in November 2024.
- A curator/artist in London plans to include her drawings in a book titled 'Drawing the Unspeakable.'
Entities
Artists
- Brenda Goodman
- Angela Dufresne
- John Yau
- Betty Bowman
- Faye Kicknosway
- Bobbie Oliver
- Marcia Tucker
- Gertrude Kasle
- Philip Guston
- Jack Tworkov
Institutions
- Hyperallergic
- Sikkema Malloy Jenkins
- Marc Straus Gallery
- Studio School
- JJ Murphy Gallery
- Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts
- Willis Gallery
- Pam Adler Gallery
- Wayne State University
- Food on Prince Street
- Bonnie's
Locations
- Detroit
- Michigan
- United States
- New York City
- New York
- Pine Hill
- Catskill Mountains
- Bowery
- London
- United Kingdom
- Washington, DC